<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Hide and Seek by gymnasticjuice</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28387308">Hide and Seek</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/gymnasticjuice/pseuds/gymnasticjuice'>gymnasticjuice</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 14:29:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,819</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28387308</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/gymnasticjuice/pseuds/gymnasticjuice</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Remus is forced into playing a game of sardines, which he thinks is just a bad version of hide and seek. Unbeknownst to him, this is all part of James Potter's elaborate plan to finally cut through the tension in the group, and get his two of best friends in the world together at last.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sirius Black/Remus Lupin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>98</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Hide and Seek</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“This is bloody ridiculous,” muttered Remus, under his breath, as he listened to James divulge into his ‘grand plan’ for their Saturday evening plans. He had been particularly interested in the book he was reading- Emma, by Jane Austen (it had been recommended by Marlene, who knew he was fond of muggle literature) when James came running into the bedroom practically bursting at the seams with excitement. Just as James began to speak again, Remus cut in,</p>
<p>“Prongs, are you seriously suggesting that we waste our one free night this week playing a game of sardines?”</p>
<p>James scoffed, and began to speak as though he were announcing the start of a war, “It is not wasting our night, dearest Moony, it is seizing it!”</p>
<p>No, it isn’t, Remus wanted to say, it’s a children’s game. </p>
<p>Look, Remus is familiar with sardines. He was forced to play it with his muggle cousins when he was a child, and all it ever ended with was whining from the person who didn’t find the rest, and a cramp in some part of your body that is most definitely not meant to cramp. </p>
<p>All in all, Remus thought that sardines was a shitty version of hide and seek. He had no interest in playing.</p>
<p>“I reckon it'll be fun,” said Marlene, grinning, “it’s nice to let loose every once in a while, and since I do not feel like nursing a hangover tomorrow, I think it’s a great idea!”</p>
<p>“Same”, piped in Mary, “besides, I know someone that Lily would love to get up close and personal with.”</p>
<p>“Oh, Evans, you bloody flatterer!” Sirius teased, fanning his hands as he pretended to fawn. He leaned over to her on the couch, puckering his lips, “Give us a smooch, then, c’mon.”</p>
<p>Lily blushed deeply, pushing him away, “Mary is talking out of her arse, Black, don’t think on it.”</p>
<p>Peter, who had been relatively quiet the entire time, finally spoke. He looked a bit nervous as he chewed on his fingernails, “But what if we get caught?”</p>
<p>James grinned, looking awfully proud. “Ah, but we won’t, Wormtail. I sent Filch on a wild goose chase earlier, he’ll be busy for hours, and all the teachers are down at Hagrid’s hut for Minnie’s birthday drinks.”</p>
<p>“I do wish you’d stop referring to Professor McGonagall as Minnie, Potter,” Lily sighed, rubbing her temples, despite a slight smile turning on the corners of her lips, “but you’re entirely sure we won’t be caught?”</p>
<p>“One hundred percent,” said James proudly, pushing out his shoulders and looking across his group of friends with a raised eyebrow, “so, are we doing this?”</p>
<p>Remus knew that his answer of ‘no, we absolutely are not’ would be cancelled out by the chorus of unanimous yesses from his fellow Gryffindor pals, so he (begrudgingly) shut his book, and agreed. Maybe it would be fun? <br/>***</p>
<p>This was not fun. Less than an hour later, Remus was wandering the deserted corridors of the east wing, teeth chattering and his fingertips blue from the cold, in search of Sirius.</p>
<p>Once James had asked who wanted to be the first to hide, Sirius volunteered all too quickly with an eager hand in the air. After a fight between him and Marlene, who also wanted to be the original hider, it was decided that since Marlene was the better hider then Sirius would go first. Remus didn’t entirely understand this logic, but who was he to argue with Lily Evans? </p>
<p>Remus wasn’t sure why he had chosen to look in the east wing first. Maybe it was because everyone else had gone the opposite way, and he had a sneaking suspicion that wherever they thought he was, he was definitely in the opposite direction.</p>
<p>Yes. it was most definitely that, not the fact that Remus had caught a whiff of his scent the moment they exited the common room and had followed it from there. Damn his wolf senses. It was an unfair advantage, that he knew, but it wasn’t as if he could help it!</p>
<p>He wished that Sirius would have chosen somewhere warmer, like, their bedroom? For the love of all things, Sirius Black, why do you always have to be so… irksome! Sure, you’re nice, and you’re not at all like your god awful family, and you have a very welcoming aura and you always make me feel worthy of love, not to mention the fact you have perfect bone structure and possibly the most kissable--</p>
<p>Snap out of it, he scolds himself, shaking his head, he’s your best friend for fucks sake.</p>
<p>These thoughts had become increasingly intrusive lately, always appearing at the worst possible times and derailing Remus’ every thought. He wished more than anything that they would stop. Sirius was his best friend, and that was what he’d stay.</p>
<p>Remus continued down the hall with his hands tucked into his pockets, careful to keep an eye out for any sudden movements. He reaches a turn when a hushed voice calls out, </p>
<p>“Pst, Moony. Oi, dickhead. Are you going deaf? Oh for christs-- Moony!”</p>
<p>Suddenly, an arm is hooked around Remus’ waist and he’s being tugged down into a deeply hidden cupboard behind a set of stairs, and the door is quietly closed once more. He’s panicked for a moment, before he notices the hand still tight on his stomach, and the threaded bracelet wrapped around their wrist. He had kept it. </p>
<p>Remus twists to meet his eyes, loudly speaking, “I was supposed to find you, not the other way around.”</p>
<p>Sirius slapped a hand over his mouth, looking panickedly around the corridor before turning back to Remus. “Don't be so bloody loud, eh, we’re supposed to be hiding,” he said in a hurried whisper, finally releasing Remus from his grip, “and you did find me, I’m right here.”</p>
<p>“Very funny, Padfoot,” said Remus sarcastically, subconsciously rubbing his woolen covered arms in an attempt to restore some heat into them. He shivered, “Why’d you choose a corridor this fuckin’ cold, feel like I’m in the North Pole or summit.”</p>
<p>Sirius shrugged, settling back into his spot against the wall. He, too, was cold, but he’d hidden down here for a reason. He knew that Remus would find him first, it was inevitable, but he also knew that their time alone was limited. James had a knack for finding him second, each and every time, but there was no doubt Peter would be crawling under doors and between floorboards in rat form to try and track him down.</p>
<p>Nervously, Sirius looked at his friend in the eye, “Moony, there’s something I need to--”</p>
<p>“Is that my jumper?” Remus interrupted, gesturing to the jumper that Sirius wore. It was one he’d been gifted by James for his sixteenth, and he’d recognise the familiar fabric anywhere. Not to mention that it had mysteriously vanished from his washing pile a few days prior.</p>
<p>Sirius blushed, immediately moving to take it off and hand it over with an embarrassed apology, but he was interrupted when Remus pressed a palm to his chest and stopped him. Christ, Sirius hoped he wouldn’t feel his heart beating ten thousand miles an hour. </p>
<p>“Keep it,” Remus smiled, “it looks good on you.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” said Sirius, ducking his head in hopes to hide away from Remus’ intricate eye. He’d spot him blushing, and he’d have to tell him something he desperately wanted to keep to himself. Yes, he had planned to tell him anyway- that was the reason James suggested this stupid game. He was just as impatient and fed up of Remus being so oblivious of the way Sirius felt as anyone else. But would one more day really do that much harm? He’d waited this long already…</p>
<p>“You wanted to tell me something?”</p>
<p>Shit. That plan is out of the window, then.</p>
<p>Okay, he can do this. It’s just Moony. Moony wouldn’t react badly, not if he felt the way that everyone said he did. No. You can’t back out now, Sirius, just gotta remember that it’s only Moony. </p>
<p>But only Moony is still… Moony. </p>
<p>This is the same Moony who had been with him since the day they boarded the Hogwarts Express, when they were both seeking a moment of silence and a break from the excitable first years. This was the same Moony who had gone out of his way to ensure that Sirius’ quidditch try out in second year had gone entirely to plan, and his actions were not limited to attempting a change of the weather when he heard it’d be raining that year. This was the same Moony who had consoled Sirius for hours on end in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom after he had recieved a particularly nasty howler from his mother. This was the same Moony who had stayed up until ridiculous hours of the night helping Sirius cram in last minute studying for his end of year exams after he had been careless about it before. This was the same Moony who had hexed Snape without a second to spare after he had said something regarding Sirius and his family. This was the same Moony who had picked Sirius up from his old family home on the night he had run away, awaiting him with nothing but a friendly smile and a shoulder to cry on. This was the same Moony who had become such a prominent and important person in Sirius’ life, that if he was ever to leave it, then Sirius worried he may fall apart. </p>
<p>He couldn’t mess this up. He treasured this. This, to him, was everything. He couldn’t ruin it by letting his own stupid feelings in the way.</p>
<p>“Sirius?”</p>
<p>Fuck it.</p>
<p>Sirius grabbed him by the back of the neck and kissed him so harshly he feared his lips may bruise. He expected Remus to pull away, to tell him he was delusional for even thinking he’d feel the same way. He expected Remus to take his heart and crush it into a million little pieces. </p>
<p>But Remus didn’t do any of those things.</p>
<p>Instead, Remus kissed him back with just as much vigour. Almost like he had wanted this just much as Sirius did. </p>
<p>Holy shit. This was happening. Remus Lupin was kissing Sirius Black. On the lips. Willingly. He’s going to pass out. </p>
<p>“Hiya, are you two-- FUCKING HELL!”</p>
<p>“Peter, what the fuck is wrong with you! Sorry-- HOLY MOTHER OF--”</p>
<p>Without a word or departing from the kiss, Sirius does a swish and a flick with his wand and the door slams shut in James and Peter’s faces, fully immersing himself in Remus once more. It doesn’t last long, though, because Remus begins to giggle into the kiss only a moment later.</p>
<p>“We’re never gonna have a moment to ourselves, our we?” Sirius groaned, pressing his forehead against Remus’. </p>
<p>Remus grinned, leaning in once more, “Nope.”</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>